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What are the permutations for promotion and relegation as the Championship enters its final round of fixtures?

At the top one of three teams could imminently join Wolverhampton Wanderers in achieving promotion to the Premier League for next season.

Birmingham City are in the driving seat, but travel to fourth-placed Reading knowing that defeat would see them finish in a play-off place.

Three points for the Royals would put them alongside Alex McLeish's Blues on 80 points and, with a vastly-superior goal difference, leave Steve Coppell's brave boys perhaps celebrating at the Madejski Stadium.

Perhaps being the operative word: Sheffield United are the outfit who may put a spanner in the works. Positioned third, a point behind City, they face former manager Neil Warnock's Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Should they win then Birmingham have to take three points to go up, while a draw is no good to Kevin Blackwell's side: if spoils were then shared in Berkshire Blues would go up, while victory for Reading would see them promoted.

The only club outside the top six with a chance of the play-offs is Preston. North End have to win at home to Queens Park Rangers and hope that either 1) Burnley fail to take three points at home to Bristol City, in which case the Clarets would fall out; or 2) Cardiff City lose at Sheffield Wednesday.

But it is more complicated than that: if Preston win by a goal and Cardiff lose by a goal, then Preston have to score more goals to finish highest; and if their scorelines are mirrored (e.g. Preston win 1-0 and Cardiff lose 1-0), PNE go up on the head-to-head rule.

Why? Because they hammered the Bluebirds 6-0 a fortnight ago at Deepdale; now wouldn't that be galling for the Cardiff fans.

However if this were to come to fruition there could still be a lifeline: unless Burnley won, they would be the team to drop out.

At the bottom it is far more simple in the race to avoid relegation to League One alongside Charlton and Southampton.

Norwich must win at The Valley against the Addicks and hope that Barnsley slip up at now-safe Plymouth and fail to take a victory.

Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport